Eros Turannos
by Shiny-and-New
Summary: There is only one superpower now. What if America had fallen to the Soviet Union? A Superman: Red Son story with an ensemble cast, but familiarity with the canon story isn't neccesary. Contains Superman/Lex in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Apologies for how long this will be. If you're decently familiar with the plot of _Superman: Red Son,_ or you don't care, feel free to skip. Otherwise, here's a summary of the plot up to where this story diverges: Superman's ship crashed on a collective farm in the Ukraine instead of Kansas, and he grows up to be a loyal member of the Soviet Union and their resident superhero. After Stalin's death, Superman takes over leadership of the Soviet Union. In the meantime, Lex Luthor and Lois Lane are married and living in the United States. However, Lex grows more and more obsessed with Superman, basically abandoning Lois to "devote his life to Superman." To that end, Lex and Brainiac temporarily team up and Brainiac shrinks Stalingrad before being captured and reprogrammed by Superman. (For reasons that become clear at the end of_ S:RS_, there is no Kryptonite in this world.) Wonder Woman joins forces with Superman (and falls in love with him, though he's oblivious) and the Soviet Union slowly spreads across the world. In Russia, Batman (orphaned after his dissident parents were killed by the KGB) has been trying to bring Superman down. He captures Wonder Woman and uses her as bait, tying her up with the Lasso of Truth. He lures Superman into the range of red solar lamps, draining his power, and plans to lock him up underground forever. At Superman's pleading, Wonder Woman breaks the Lasso and destroys the generator powering the solar lamps, freeing Superman. To avoid being captured and turned into a "Superman robot" (people implanted with mind-control technology and reprogrammed by Brainiac), Batman blows himself up. Wonder Woman is physically shattered by the Lasso's destruction and disillusioned. Superman is more determined than ever to bring the world under his control, and builds the Winter Palace (this world's version of the Fortress).

America fell on a bright, sunny Tuesday morning, and no one was particularly surprised. There was a token resistance, and Superman supposed it wouldn't be America if _someone_ weren't mindlessly trying to cause chaos and violence. But most people simply looked up at him and the forces he brought with him and seemed resigned. This had been a long time coming, after all.

Of course, Lex Luthor wasn't most people.

It was probably a measure of how panicked Luthor was that he wasn't in his soundproofed lab. Superman still couldn't see him, since Lex had long since started lining everything he built in lead. But he could hear him, and he could also hear Lois Lane's voice. As he soared towards the LexCorp tower where they were holed up, he listened.

"It's over, Lex!" she shouted, and Superman could hear the panic and exhaustion cracking her voice. "It's over! Just stop!"

"Stop?" Luthor hissed, and his voice was more than cracking. It was rough and scraping, like he hadn't slept and or had anything to drink for days. "That fucking _alien monster_ is seething across our shores and is on his way here right now and you want me to just give up?!"

"This is something you never had a reason to learn, because you were always so sure you could win everything," she said, trying for some measure of calm, "but sometimes you have to pick your battles."

"So you want me to surrender?" he said. In the background, Superman could hear the scrape and hiss of metal being welded together. Luthor was assembling some kind of machine. "Get on my knees and worship him like the rest of this miserable planet?!"

"I want you to stay with me!" she screamed, and it was obvious that she was crying. "I want you to stay here and whole and not be turned into one of those robots!"

There was a pause, and for a moment all Superman could hear was the harsh sounds of their breathing and the frantic, terrified race of their hearts.

"Lois," Luthor said. There was an edge of desperate, uncharacteristic honesty that took Superman aback. He was only about twenty miles from them now. "I can't let him win. He can't win. If he does, it means that all of this was for nothing. It means I was wr-"

An alarm started blaring, and Superman heard Lois scream again.

"He's here!" Luthor roared.

"Keep your distance from the building," Superman ordered his men. They were following behind him, using the jetpack technology he'd developed. "Luthor is tricky."

"Yes, sir."

He came through their living room window and instantly began disabling the traps and attacks Luthor had waiting. Heat vision took care of the lasers and the small explosives, cold breath froze the doors and other escape methods solid, superspeed and strength crushed the robot technology beneath his hands like putty. To Lex and Lois, it happened in the blink of an eye.

"It's over, Luthor," Superman said, the smoking ruins of Lex's most powerful technology at his feet. He was unable to keep the small smile of satisfaction off his face. "Time to give up."

Lois was staring at him in horror, backing away without realizing it. He felt a moment of strange, intense guilt that she should be so afraid of him. It would all be different soon, he reassured himself. Once the Americans finally realized that all he ever wanted to do was help the world, everything would be different.

Something ugly and animalistic crossed Lex's face and without a word he lunged forward towards a small, unassuming black remote on the table in front of him. It took Superman, who'd been expecting Luthor's usual pompous speech and threats, completely by surprise, and Luthor got to the remote before he did.

It became clear later that Luthor had wired his entire building to explode as destructively as possible. The resulting blast destroyed nearly every building in the surrounding block, damaged structures for a mile in each direction, and dangerously disrupted the water, gas, and power lines throughout all of Metropolis. Five thousand people died in total, all in a suicidal, last-ditch effort on Lex's part to kill Superman.

At the time, though, all Superman knew was the telltale sound and smell of an explosion building up around him. He lunged forward and grabbed Lois and Lex, pulling them both against him and leaping backwards out of the building. By the time the explosion reached the penthouse, they were three miles away.

For a brief moment, both of the humans in his arms were too stunned by the sheer speed of what had just happened to do anything but hang there, clinging to him. Lois was wearing the same perfume she had been on that first day they'd met, so many years ago. She was shivering slightly, her head was tucked against his shoulder, and her wedding ring was warm against his hand. Lex smelled like expensive cologne and ink, the faint tang of metal hanging over his hands. He wasn't wearing his wedding ring, and had instinctively wrapped his arms around Superman's chest.

The second of peace was shattered when Lex started howling with rage, clawing at Superman's face fruitlessly. Lois was breathing dangerously quickly, and Superman let her drop gently to the roof a few feet below them in order to deal with Luthor. He tossed him to the roof and grabbed his hand just as the human was bringing a bright red pill towards his mouth.

"No!" Superman said, crushing the cyanide pill beneath his boot. "You're not going to become some martyr to your insane cause."

"You might as well kill me now, alien," Luthor spat, staggering to his feet, "because I'd rather die than be controlled by you."

Superman believed it. If the incident with Batman had taught him nothing else, it was that sometimes humans would rather die than see reason. Fortunately, there was another option. Faster than the human eye could see, Superman punched Lex. It was comparatively gentle and only knocked him out, but it still felt good. Lex slumped into Superman's arms, his head falling back to expose the long, pale line of his throat.

Lois was staring at them with wide eyes, her lips in a tight line. Her hands were clenched into fists, and Superman honestly wasn't sure whether it was from anger or fear.

"Miss Lane," he began, not sure what he was going to say.

"Mrs. Luthor," she corrected, her voice shaking only a little despite everything that had happened. She was a strong woman, and always had been. Superman felt a flash of brief, irrational anger at Lex for marrying this woman, who didn't deserve to be shackled to his obsession and his insanity. Maybe this would finally give her some freedom.

"Mrs. Luthor," Superman said, "your husband is being taken into state custody and will be released when he's no longer a threat. You're in no danger, though. You're free to leave."

"It's nice to know I'm only in danger if I disagree with you invading and conquering my country," Lois said, standing ramrod straight and folding her arms across her chest.

"I know it might be hard to understand now," Superman said. Later that evening, he'd broadcast a version of this same speech to televisions all across America, but at this moment, it was vital that Lois understood. "You Americans, you value your freedom very much. But you're still free. It's just that now you'll be safe, able to live your lives without fear. I'll protect you."

"We didn't ask for your protection," Lois said firmly. The stubborn set of her jaw was familiar, and for the first time, Superman could think of something that Lois and Luthor actually had in common, besides being married to each other.

"You'll understand in time," Superman said with a sigh. He took to the air, Lex in his arms. "Be careful, Miss Lane."

xxxx

He took Luthor to the Winter Palace. He trusted Brainiac and his troops to handle the rest of the invasion, and hoped that the Americans would lose any desire to fight once word got out that Luthor had been defeated. They'd always placed a ridiculous amount of faith in Lex, even though not a single one of his insane inventions and creatures had ever posed a real threat. Humans were strange like that.

"I've got Luthor," Superman called out.

"Excellent," Brainiac responded, its mechanical voice echoing through the Palace. While Brainiac's physical body (or what passed as a body for a robot) might have been in its ship wiping out the last pockets of resistance in America, it was still very present all across the world, keep its technology running smoothly. "Bring him to the surgery center, and I will personally oversee his operation."

The surgery center smelled of antiseptic and, very faintly, human blood. Superman didn't like lingering here. The measures he was forced to take to save humans from themselves always saddened him a little. He laid Lex down on the operating table and watched as the Palace robots cut off his clothing and began preparing him for surgery, carefully inserting I.V. drips. Unconscious and still, Lex looked years younger, and Superman's memory flashed to the young, arrogant man Luthor had been. Who, in all honesty, was not particularly different from the arrogant man Lex currently was. But his hair had been bright red and reminded Superman of Lana. A nostalgic part of him missed that.

Still, there was no point in reminiscing on the past. Especially not when the world's future was so bright, now that the last stubborn bit of resistance was gone. There was a spring in his step as Superman left the Palace. Finally, everything was going right.

xxxx

"Follow my finger with your eyes," Brainiac instructed. Lex obeyed, blank green eyes tracking the movement. He was propped up in a hospital bed, the monitors attached to him showing a steady, unchanging heart rate.

Superman leaned against the wall, watching with interest. He hadn't been sure about doing this to Luthor. It was the right thing to do, of course, since it was the only way to eliminate the threat Lex posed without killing him. But both he and Brainiac had been worried about just how formidable Lex's mind would turn out to be. No one had ever successfully resisted the surgery and robotic implants before, but Luthor was unlike anyone Superman had ever fought.

Currently, though, Lex was slumped against the bed, the incisions across his head still red and raw. Like everyone who had yet to be given a new personality, Lex's face was completely blank, his jaw slightly slack and his body limp. So far, so good.

After shining a light in Lex's eyes for a few more seconds, Brainiac let out a mechanical hum of satisfaction and stepped back.

"He has responded well to surgery and his implant is functioning perfectly."

"Good," Superman said. Impulsively, he stepped forward and ran a finger along the edge of the implant. Circular and metallic, it had been welded to Lex's skull and would interface directly with his brain. Programmed by Superman and Brainiac, the implant would rewire and control Luthor's mind, giving him a new, obedient personality. Lex turned his head to look up at Superman, but otherwise didn't react. Superman had never liked the name the public had given to the reprogrammed dissidents: 'Superman robots.' But looking into Lex's emotionless eyes, he had to admit that it seemed accurate.

"Are there any specifics you would like programmed into him?" Brainiac asked, going over to the console near the head of the bed. It began preparing several of the diodes and wires that would connect to Lex's implant.

"He'll need to be more obedient, obviously," Superman said. "We'll need to emphasize that, actually. Give him a respect for authority-"

Superman was interrupted by a low, soft growl, and it left him stunned. In all the years he'd been reprogramming people, they had never made a sound during this phase. Every man, woman, and child had been mute. He hadn't even been sure that someone _could_ make noise when they were like this, and Lex Luthor had just growled at him.

He and Brainiac both stared. The human hadn't moved, but his fists were clenched tightly around the edges of the bed. The heart monitor was beating a little faster, and his breathing had picked up. While most of his face was blank, his eyes had a distinct look of desperate, dark fury.

"Everything went normally in surgery?" Superman asked, raising an eyebrow.

"This is not altogether surprising," Brainiac said, tilting his head in interest. Over the years, it had picked up a number of human gestures like that. "He has not had a new personality implanted, and may therefore be reacting instinctually. He is able to comprehend that we are discussing subjugating him, even if he is unable to understand it on any higher level. Luthor's mind is impressive, for a human."

Superman wasn't sure just how accurate Brainiac's assessment really was, considering that this had never happened before. But it fit with what he knew of both the reprogramming process and Luthor. The stronger minds always fought the hardest. Superman thought idly of Batman, wondering how he would have responded to the surgery if he hadn't blown himself up. Anarchist or not, the man had been a genius.

"So he's under control?" Superman asked.

"Of course. Regardless of his intellect, the implant cannot be overridden. It is simply a reality of the mechanics of the human brain."

"Good." Superman stepped forward and grasped Luthor's chin in his hand, forcing him to meet his eyes. Back on the farm, his father had taught him that the most important part of breaking a horse was showing it that you were in control. No matter how hard it fought, no matter how powerful it thought it was, you were going to win. That was just a fact. It would be the same with Luthor.

Luthor. The man who'd been a thorn in his side for decades, who had devoted his entire life to trying to destroy Superman, who had sent monstrosity after monstrosity after him. Who was at least partially responsible for Stalingrad being shrunken, perhaps permanently. Who had, just yesterday, sent thousands of people to their death without a second thought.

Superman didn't think it was unreasonable to enjoy this.

"Make him obedient," he said, his eyes never leaving Lex's. If there was some part of Luthor that was still aware, Superman wanted him to hear this. "Make him respect authority, and trust that I know what's best for him. Make him unquestioningly loyal to me and eager to please." Superman narrowed his eyes, considering Lex further. Even with the implant, there was still a chance the human might be a target to any rebels. "Make him cautious around other people. Nervous, even. Make him quiet, mild-mannered, unassuming. Make him the farthest thing in the world from a threat."

"Very logical, Superman," Brainiac said approvingly. Behind him, Superman could hear the console powering up and the mechanical hum of the machines, but it white noise compared to the sound of Lex's heart pounding.

The look of impotent, seething rage in Lex's eyes made every moment of frustration the human had caused over the years worth it. Superman couldn't help smirking, and watched with interest as Lex's upper lip curled back into a snarl.

"You have no one to blame for this but yourself, Lex," he said, still gripping Luthor's chin. "You could have been reasonable. But I was right all along. You'll understand that soon."

Lex's eyes rolled up in his head and he slumped backwards as the implant began working on his brain. His eyes twitched under his eyelids as though he was dreaming, and his heartbeat evened out. Lex would be unconscious for the next few hours, if past experience was anything to go by.

"Keep me updated on how he is," Superman ordered, already turning his attention away. There was a dam in Uganda that was looking unstable, and now seemed like a good time to deal with it. After a day of violent unrest in America, Soviet troops had managed to quarantine most of the troublemakers into a few cities where Superman could deal with them at his leisure. Without Luthor's technology, the Americans hadn't stood a chance.

He leapt into the air once he was outside the Palace, the ground blurring away underneath him. Superman closed his eyes as he flew, feeling more peaceful than he had in decades.


	2. Chapter 2

When he returned to the Palace, Diana was waiting for him. She had presumably flown there, which was good news. It meant she was strong enough now to stay airborne for a while. Superman knew commenting on it probably wouldn't be wise, though. Brainiac was nowhere to be seen, which wasn't surprising. It and Diana had always had a very obvious, barely restrained hostility towards each other even in the best of times. Superman usually assumed that it was a clash of basic personalities and beliefs, magic versus technology. But sometimes he wondered their feud hadn't been a competition for his attention, a struggle to be the one Superman confided in.

"Hello, Diana," Superman said, smiling as cheerfully as he could and remembering that she hated to be called Wonder Woman now. Seeing her had become painful, ever since she'd destroyed her Lasso of Truth on his command. Her hair was thin and stringy, the unhealthy grey color making her skin look sallow. She looked weak, as though she should be bedridden even though she was technically healthy. She seemed frail and atrophied, a shadow of her former self. It was heartbreaking to see.

"I hear you've captured Lex Luthor," she said, her voice sharp. It always was when she spoke to him, these days.

"He's being reprogrammed now," Superman said.

He touched down next to her, noticing the way she stiffened when he came close. His first instinct was to offer her his cape, since it was cold in the Palace and she was more vulnerable to cold now. But he knew that offer wouldn't be met kindly.

"You must be thrilled," she said. "The last threat to you, fallen. Just like all the others."

"I _am_ thrilled," Superman said, smiling wider. "This is the end of war, famine, disease, of all the problems that have plagued humanity. This is the start of a perfect world." He reached out to lay a hand on her shoulder, and she stepped back. Not intimidated, just pointedly avoiding his touch.

"Perfect as long as it's under your control."

"Diana, please don't talk like that."

"Talk like what?" she growled. "Like someone who has seen what you're willing to do for power?'

"This wasn't some plan of mine! I never wanted this to happen to you!" Superman took a deep breath. Fighting with Diana wouldn't help anything. "This isn't the time for anger. We should be celebrating."

"Is Luthor even still alive?" she asked.

"Of course he is," Superman said, shocked. "You know I don't kill my enemies."

"No, you just let them kill themselves."

"Batman made his choice," Superman snapped. "Don't start pretending that Luthor is some innocent victim I'm bullying. The man is a murderer and a lunatic."

"Is he still alive?" Diana asked again, her voice flat.

"Come see him if you don't believe me. He should be waking up from the reprogramming."

She simply nodded stiffly, and Superman set off down the hall at her side. He looked ahead, using his X-ray vision to make sure Lex was awake.

The first thing Superman noticed was Luthor's posture. In the past, it had always been surprising to remember that Lex was smaller than him. The human had always seemed like the biggest presence in the room, pulling everyone's eyes towards him. Brash and angry and braver than he had any right to be. And now he was curled in on himself, looking like he wanted to disappear into the wall.

Part of that probably had to do with Brainiac, who was flitting between Lex and the wall console. It wasn't being particularly gentle as it turned Lex's head to examine the implant again, and Superman made a mental note to reprimand it. Luthor had been reprogrammed and there was no reason to be harsh with him now. He blinked, letting his X-ray vision fade, and opened the door to the examination room.

Superman saw Lex glance up when the door opened, his eyes widening as they walked into the room. His heart started racing, and Superman watched with interest as he took several quick, shallow breaths. He seemed to curl in on himself even more, if possible, and was practically radiating the sentiment 'Please, please don't look at me.'

"You are Lex Luthor," Diana said, after several seconds of silence. It wasn't a question, but there was an element of uncertainty in her voice nonetheless.

"Yes," Lex murmured, barely audible. After a pause, he took a deep breath and looked up at them both. He couldn't quite make eye contact, but he looked less like a scared rabbit. "You're Wonder Woman."

"I was," Diana said, with none of the usual venom in her voice at the mention of her past. "And you, American, you were Superman's greatest enemy."

"I would advise against mentioning the past at this phase of his reprogramming," Brainiac said, its voice as close to a snarl as the mechanical being could manage. Diana sneered at it.

"I was," Lex said, as if Brainiac hadn't spoken. His voice was dreamy, like he was trying to remember something. He blinked several times and said, more firmly, "I was. But things have changed."

"So passes an era," Diana said. Her voice was contemplative, almost sad. Superman had no idea what she was thinking, but then, that had nearly always been the case with her.

Lex stayed silent, staring at Diana with an expression like a wild animal being offered food. He seemed wary and considering and interested all at once. After several moments, Diana approached him calmly and laid a hand on his cheek. Lex jumped a little, but otherwise didn't react. She closed her eyes and murmured something in a language Superman couldn't understand, though it sounded more than a little like Greek.

Superman may have grown up in a world where religion was illegal, a furtive act done behind closed doors, but he still knew the sound of a blessing when he heard one.

"I am satisfied," Diana said after a moment of silence.

"Let me walk you out."

"I can find my own way," she said, her voice cold again. She turned on her heel and marched from the room, all stiff dignity.

Superman watched her go with his X-ray vision, sighing as she left the Palace. The first time she'd deigned to visit him in years, and Diana had been focused on Luthor. He turned away from the door and found himself staring into Lex's nervous eyes.

Lex dropped his gaze quickly and fidgeted. After a moment that seemed to be composed entirely of steeling himself, he looked back up at Superman. "Is…is this the Winter Palace?"

"It is," Superman said. He was curious how Lex would act around him now. It was downright bizarre being in the same room without the human sneering and posturing. "How are you feeling?"

"All readings indicate his vital signs are normal and his implant is functioning perfectly," Brainiac said.

"I'm fine," Lex said, shooting a look of dislike at Brainiac. It both surprised and amused Superman. Apparently, some of his old attitudes weren't quite gone.

"Would you like me to reassign Luthor to one of the work facilities?" Brainiac asked, prickliness clear even in its mechanical tones.

"No," Superman said. He didn't quite trust that Lex was fully under his control. And besides, he was curious. "Let's keep him around for a while. Lex, would you like to take a walk, perhaps see more of the Palace?"

"I would," Lex said, his smile startlingly cheerful. He stood up from the bed, legs a little shaky. "I've, ah, always wondered what the interior of this place looked like."

"Well, you'll finally get to find out," Superman said amiably. He opened the door. "Right this way. Brainiac, everything still running all right?"

"Yes," Brainiac said, looking more irritable than Superman would have thought him capable of.

"Good. You know where to find me if there's a situation."

Superman led the way out of the room, Lex following a few steps behind him. He slowed down to match pace with Luthor, watching with interest as Lex stared, wide-eyed.

"Is this crystal of some kind?" the human asked, running his fingers along the walls with fascination. "Some of our intelligence people assumed it was ice, but I've always thought that was impractical. But this definitely isn't from Earth. At least not anything we have now, but maybe you and Brainiac modified existing technology?"

"No," Superman said, feeling odd. Luthor never…babbled the way he was now, like he couldn't speak quickly enough to get all of his thoughts out. "It's some of the technology retrieved from the ship that brought me here. Stalin and his scientists could never figure it out, but it activated for me the first time I touched it. Building the Palace was the first time I had a use for it."

"Do you think all the structures were like this where you came from, or was this specially designed for you? Did the hallways and rooms create themselves, or did you have to design them? And what abou-oh!" Lex darted ahead of Superman into the open chamber ahead of them, where the ship that had carried Superman to Earth was on a podium.

Lex circled it several times, eyes wide and gleeful. He reached out, fingers nearly touching the hull, before stopping suddenly and looking up at Superman. There was an edge of fear in his eyes, as though he'd just remembered where he was.

"Is, um, would it be all right…"

"Of couse," Superman said, stepping up beside Lex and running his fingers along the hull. It had been a long while since he'd actually looked at the tiny ship that had brought him to Earth so long ago.

Lex placed his hand reverently on the spacecraft. His touch was careful, like he was worried it might fall apart if he pressed too hard.

"When I was a kid, I always thought about what aliens would be like, what-" Lex cut himself off and ducked his head nervously, glancing at Superman out of the corner of his eye as if he was worried about being hit. "What the world would be like if they ever came."

"It's certainly a more interesting place, I'd imagine," Superman said carefully, smiling a little.

To Superman's surprise, Lex smiled back. "Yeah. It is."


	3. Chapter 3

"—and I hope that, in time, you'll see that this is the best solution not just for America, but for Earth itself." Superman finished his speech to the massive crowd of assembled reporters who'd gathered outside the White House. He'd actually wanted to hold the press conference elsewhere; it was cold and rainy that day, and the humans were huddled beneath their umbrellas and coats, looking miserable. But he'd found that humans tended to respond best to shows of force and authority, and so he'd set up his base of operations in the White House regardless of practicality.

The crowd of reporters stirred, all looking up at him warily. He knew from watching the news clips of Lex and Lois that American reporters were used to asking questions of their leaders, used to poking and prodding and demanding. That wasn't the way it was going to work anymore. He nodded to dismiss them and stepped back from the podium.

Most of the reporters obeyed the unspoken order, the rapid beats of their hearts betraying more than a little fear of him. But Lois stepped forward out of the crowd, looking beautiful despite a dripping wet coat and no makeup.

"Superman," she said quietly, the steel in her voice evident nonetheless, "I was wondering if I could have a word with you?"

"Of course, Ms. Lane," Superman said, smiling a little. He floated off the makeshift stage down to her and offered her his arm. "Would you prefer to go inside, out of the rain?"

"Mrs. Luthor," she corrected, voice cool. She took his arm, back stiff as a board. "Yes, thank you."

They walked in silence into the White House, the building mostly silent around them. The President and his family had been relocated once Superman came to take it over, and there was no real need for anyone else to be living there. The building's only inhabitants at the moment were a few of Brainiac's drones and some of Superman's human security forces that were mostly there for show. Finally, they reached the Oval Office. Superman leaned against the desk, trying his best to look accommodating. He didn't want Lois to be afraid of him.

"Sit down, please," he said, gesturing towards the chairs and couches that hadn't been moved out yet.

"I'll stand," she said. She crossed her arms over her chest, her wedding ring glinting on her finger.

"Can I get you something?"

"My husband," Lois said bluntly. "You can give me my husband back."

"I'm sorry, but the reprogramming process-"

"Yeah, I've been researching how you reprogram people," she said, "and from what I've gathered, it only takes about a day. Two, if you count full recovery. You and your robot sidekick have really streamlined the process. According to my sources, it used to take about six weeks. I guess necessity really is the mother of invention."

Superman folded his hands in front of him, trying not to let his irritation show. He wondered who exactly Lois had been talking to.

"Your sources didn't lie, Ms. Lane. But even though the surgery itself doesn't take long, we prefer to keep people for observation for at least a few weeks, to ensure that they're completely healthy."

"Lex is a hard bastard to kill. I'm sure he's fine," Lois said, reaching down to shuffle through her pockets for something. She pulled out a pack of cigarettes. "Do you mind if I…"

"No, feel free," Superman said, raising an eyebrow. Her voice might not show it, and her hands might have been more or less steady, but her heart was trip-hammering. "I wasn't under the impression that you smoked."

"I quit a while ago," she said, pulling a book of matches out of her pocket. "But Lex had about six cartons of these things in the car, and well, it's been a stressful week."

Oddly enough, Superman had actually immediately recognized both the cigarette and match brands as Luthor's favorite. He'd preferred matches over lighters, apparently finding matches more useful. _This is what comes of stalking your political enemies_, Superman thought. _Knowledge of ridiculous minutiae. _Thankfully, all of that was in the past.

"I'd save up on those, in that case," Superman said. "I'm planning to limit purchases to one pack a day per person, for health reasons."

"Thank God we've got you here to look out for our lungs," Lois said. She inhaled a drag off the cigarette, her heartbeat evening out as she did. "I want my husband back, Superman. Lex is healthy, and if he's safely under your control, there's no reason not to turn him back over to his family."

Ah, this would be unpleasant.

"We actually have a policy regarding that," Superman said, trying for a comforting tone. "Unless dissidents surrender willingly, they're reassigned to an area far away from their original home. It helps prevent any former comrades from trying to tamper with their implants and seriously injuring them."

"And keeps the population from outright revolting when they see what's left of their loved ones," Lois growled. She reminded him very much of the old Lex in this moment, all indignant fury and fearlessness. The new one was much easier to get along with. "This is repulsive!"

"Ms. Lane-"

"Bring Lex back! You have no right-"

"Actually," Superman said, losing patience and stepping forward until he loomed over her, "I _do_ have the right. I control this world. I shelter it, I guide it, and I know what's best for it. So while it may upset you that you can't see Lex right now, I have no doubt you'll see that it's better this way." He allowed himself a small smile. "He certainly does."

That was apparently Lois' snapping point, as she reared back and tried to slap him. Superman caught her hand gently, applying just enough force to restrain her.

"If Lex comes back to America, that will be my decision," Superman said firmly. "Not yours. Now, Lois, I think we're finished for the night. Can you find your way out?"

There was a muscle twitching in Lois' jaw, and she looked like she had roughly three thousand different things she wanted to scream at him. But in the end, she simply nodded curtly and left, throwing open the door as she went.

Superman watched her go. She got all the way to her car, parked several blocks away from the White House, before she broke down, screaming and throwing the pack of cigarettes the ground. Her hands were shaking as she fumbled with the keys to her car, and she either didn't notice or didn't care that tears were running down her face.

Superman sighed. They'd all understand, eventually.

xxxxx

He flew back to the Palace that night, feeling restless. Superman didn't bother greeting Brainaic, who seemed to be engrossed in the wiring of one of the weather control consoles. If anything important had happened while Superman was in America, Brainiac would have told him immediately. It was reliable that way.

His feet carried him to the room where Lex slept, curled up peacefully beneath a heavy blanket. The living areas of the Palace designed for humans were warmer than the rest of the place, but there was still a lingering chill in the air. The room Lex had been assigned was empty except for him, the other beds folded up and pushed against the wall. There were actually about three dozen other humans currently being run through the reprogramming process, but Superman had chosen to isolate Lex. He was still unsure about his control over him, and didn't want to take the risk that Luthor might tamper with the others' implants.

Superman stood at the foot of the bed, considering the man who had been his worst enemy. Lex really did look years younger when he slept, burrowed into the blankets and breathing deeply. Unsure of what he was doing, Superman sat down on the side of the bed, doing his best not to disturb Lex.

The human was insatiably curious, that was the most striking thing Superman had noticed over the past four days that he'd had Lex. He'd always known that Lex was a genius, of course, and curiosity came with that naturally, but Lex had never been so open about it the way he was now. Lex seemed to voice every thought he had about why something worked the way it did or how it could be designed better. Superman kept waiting for it to become annoying, but there was actually something fascinating about hearing how Lex thought, what interested him. And Lex always seemed to be thinking, was always formulating plans and ideas no matter what else was he was doing at the time.

"My labs always had board games in them," Lex had said, staring with glee at the remains of a war android Superman had captured. "Rubik's cubes, puzzles, anything that I could get my hands on. I needed them to keep from getting bored, to give me something to do while I thought. Chess was good for that too."

"You're a chess player, then?" Superman had asked, even though he'd already known that, had known it for years.

"I love it." Lex's smile had been so much more…open. His whole expression was more open, really, stripped of cynicism and rage.

"We'll have to play some time," Superman had said, reaching out to lay a hand on Lex's shoulder. After four days, Lex had finally stopped flinching whenever Superman reached for him. Superman wasn't sure if that instinctive flinch was caused by the programming or not, but something about it bothered him.

Now, with Lex asleep, Superman wondered what he dreamed about. Was his brain was still whirring away even as he slept, body unmoving but mind racing? It wouldn't surprise him. Lex hadn't been his greatest enemy for nothing. He was too smart for his own good. Now that he was here, completely under Superman's control…

He frowned. Originally, he'd brushed off the odd twist in his stomach whenever he pondered Lex's current fate. He'd assumed it was just the thrill of victory, the knowledge that he had finally won. But now, Superman had to acknowledge that there was something else mixed in with it, something that he was not entirely sure how to handle. He'd heard the saying 'To the victor go the spoils' of course. But he'd never really thought of any of the countries or people he'd conquered as spoils, as prizes that he'd won. Until Lex. More and more, he was starting to think of Lex as…well, he wasn't entirely sure of the specifics, muddled as his thoughts were on the matter.

But it was odd.

Lex stirred, the change in his heartbeat telling Superman he was waking up. His eyes slitted open, checking to see who was sitting on his bed, then he blinked awake more fully.

"Superman?" His voice was rough from sleep. Most people would've had bed-head. Lex had gone bald long before Superman started spying on him enough to know how he looked in the morning.

"Hello, Lex."

"I thought you'd be asleep," Lex murmured, settling back against his pillow. "Everyone else is. Even Brainiac's running his screensaver."

Superman laughed and replied, "Well, I'm keeping late hours." He reached out and ran a hand along the cool metal of Lex's implant, allowing his fingers to drift so that they brushed Lex's skin. He'd been doing that lately, like a tic or a habit he was falling into. It fascinated him, the cold metal that controlled Lex against the warm skin of his head. Lex held still, staring up at Superman with no hint of malice.

"Were you in America?"

"I was," Superman said, hiding his slight surprise at how Lex knew that. He certainly hadn't told him, and Brainiac wouldn't have either. It was a fairly obvious deduction, really, but Superman wasn't used to the 'robots' taking enough initiative. Voice cool, he continued, "I spoke to your wife."

"Lois?" Lex seemed startled, and his eyes flitted down to Superman's hands for a moment. "How is she?"

"She seemed all right," Superman said. "Frightened, like they all are, but all right. She wanted to see you."

"It's a long hike to the Palace."

"I told her it wouldn't be possible."

Was that a flash of dismay he saw on Lex's face, or was it just his own imagination?

"You know best," Lex said cheerfully, and Superman knew then that he was putting on a façade of some kind. There was something very reassuring in having his paranoia justified. He raised a hand, noting how Lex watched it carefully, and flattened it against his chest. Lex was already lying down, so it didn't accomplish much besides pressing him a little further into the mattress.

"Yes, I do," Superman said, leaning in to look straight down at Lex. The human could still breathe. Maybe not easily, but he was in no danger. "I hope that both of you will come to understand that someday.

Seeing actual fear in Lex's eyes was interesting as well. The human normally went to great pains to appear unruffled. Superman found something very satisfying about that fear, something connected to the twist in his gut when he thought of how Lex had glared up at him while Superman laid out how he'd be programmed.

"Of course, Superman," Lex said, voice shaky. "Like I said, you know best."

"I hope you really believe that, Lex," Superman said, careful to keep his voice calm and amicable. He pushed down a little harder. Lex squirmed. "I've been lenient with you so far. I've been nice. But that can change."

Lex opened his mouth as if to say something, then closed it just as abruptly. His eyes were wide, the white showing all around them. Finally, he brought a hand up to gently wrap around Superman's wrist.

"Superman," Lex said, surprisingly steady for someone who was clearly so nervous. "Superman, I trust you. I promise, please. I…I don't have a choice, and we both know it."

The surprise nearly made Superman take his hand off Lex and take several steps back from the bed. Nearly. The anger, the fear that he'd been played for a fool, those were what drove him to shove Lex into the bed hard, his sternum creaking in protest under Superman's hand. His other hand wrapped around Lex's neck, tight enough to cut off his air for a moment.

"Give me a reason," Superman said, his face inches from Lex's, "not to have Brainiac turn you into a vegetable."

"Please," Lex chokes out, voice weak and breathy from the combined pressure on his chest and throat. "Please…just…listen."

After a final squeeze, Superman let him go entirely, standing up from the bed to glare down at Lex. Coughing, the human sat up, hand rubbing at his throat. Superman noticed for the first time that Lex was wearing a thick sweater that was too big for him, the sleeves falling over his fingertips when he settled his hands back onto the bed.

"It's not exactly some huge leap of logic," Lex said. "I've seen Superman robots before; you never kept them hidden. And there's not really a way to avoid noticing this giant metal _thing_ attached to my skull." He shrugged. "It makes sense that you'd, ah, alter me to make me less of a threat, and I doubt that the implant is just here for show."

"You're taking all of this very calmly."

"I seem to have great difficulty getting angry with you now," Lex said, looking down. "It's the other reason I knew something had been done to me. I can remember being furious, all the time, but now I just…can't. Can't feel it."

"Does it bother you?" To Superman's knowledge, none of the reprogrammed dissidents had ever seemed to notice that their minds had been tampered with. Perhaps it shouldn't have surprised him, though. Lex was, as usual, very good at making things difficult.

"I know I should be bothered. I'm not." Lex glanced up at him. "It bothers me that I'm not bothered."

"You're so accommodating now," Superman said, hearing the smugness in his own voice and not even caring. Lex had always brought out the worst in him.

"I'm sure you prefer it that way," Lex said, not trying to hide his frustration.

"I do, actually," Superman said, taking Lex's chin in his hand and tilting his head up. They started at each other in silence for a long moment, until Lex broke the tension by yawning.

Superman's lips quirked, and he suddenly felt guilty for frightening Lex. The human had been nothing but deferent, submissive even, in the past four days since he'd been reprogrammed. There was no reason to terrorize him just because he'd demonstrated an awareness of his situation.

"We can talk about this tomorrow," Superman said. He gently let go of Lex's chin. "I…you should try to get some sleep."

"So should you," Lex said, face unreadable. "If you're keeping up old habits, you probably haven't slept in a week. It makes you cranky."

It had actually only been 72 hours, but Superman raised an eyebrow. Lex had been stalking him with just as much dedication, it seemed. "I'll take that under consideration. Good night, Lex."

"Good night."

Superman rarely used the bedroom he'd set aside for himself in that Palace these days. He didn't need sleep, and he preferred to spend his time working. But Lex mentioning it had reminded Superman of how peaceful sleeping could be. And he did tend to feel less tense afterwards. He shrugged out of his uniform and dropped onto the bed. Staring upwards, he looked through the ceiling at the stars until he drifted off to sleep.

xxxxx

"So what is your plan for dealing with Luthor?" Brainiac asked, for the third time in five minutes.

"Well, assuming you actually sent someone to go get him, I plan to have breakfast with him." Superman took a sip of his tea. The few hours of sleep had put him in a good mood. "There's no reason this has to be violent."

"He has admitted that he is aware of our modifications. There is nothing to prevent him from rebelling." Brainiac sounded as irritable as it was capable of.

"He told me about it himself," Superman pointed out. "From the looks of things, the implant is actually functioning perfectly."

"It is entirely possible, and very likely, that he is lying to you."

"Hello," Lex said, clearing his throat. He'd poked his head into the room but come no further. He looked at Superman. "The robots said you wanted to see me?"

"I did," Superman said. He gestured to the small, crystalline table by the window where he sat. "Come in. Sit down. Would you like anything to drink?"

"Coffee, if you have it," Lex said, carefully skirting around Brainiac to sit across from Superman at the table.

"We do," he said. "Brainiac, we'll discuss this later. Send up a drone with breakfast."

Superman had never seen Brainiac leave the room in a huff. He wasn't even sure it could. But it was doing an excellent impression of someone stomping out in a huff, regardless.

"Drone?" Lex asked, running his hand across the surface of the table like he was investigating the texture of it.

"The non-Brainiac robots around the Palace. They have no real artificial intelligence beyond what it takes to make them functional, and Brainiac controls most of their actions."

"What's your name for the Superman robots?" Lex was very carefully not looking at Superman.

"They're dissidents," Superman said. "Anything else is a name the press gave them. They're still people, not robots."

"Does Brainiac share that assessment?"

"Brainiac's been reprogrammed and behaving himself for a decade now, so I'll assume the answer is 'yes'." Superman felt irritated despite himself, and he leaned forward. "Brainiac isn't the one I'm concerned about."

"Would you have preferred I spent the rest of my life pretending I hadn't noticed anything was different?"

"I would have preferred if you'd told me immediately."

"I still have a sense of self-preservation," Lex snapped. "If the first words out of my mouth had been 'I see you made me a Superman robot', I'd have been back on that operating table faster than I could blink. Don't deny it."

"So how long were you planning on playing dumb, out of curiosity?" Superman asked. "You've been exploring the Palace pretty thoroughly the past few days. You really expect me to believe that it was all innocent?"

"I was planning to tell you when the opportunity arose, and it arose. I told you." Seeing Lex glare was almost novel, after four days of him being so agreeable. "I've got Brainiac's technology in my head, I've got you watching over me constantly, what do you-"

Lex fell silent as two of the drones entered the room, carrying trays and Lex's coffee. Lex eyed them like they were armed, flinching a little when one set a plate of food down in front of him. The drones bowed to Superman and then left, but Lex still watched the door after they were gone.

"You should eat," Superman said, when Lex seemed disinclined to keep talking. "The drones told me the other day you're barely touching your meals."

"Nothing like being spied on to give someone an appetite," Lex grumbled, but he looked down at his plate with interest. "Eggs and toast?"

"There's not a lot about America that I'm fond of, but your breakfasts are very nice."

Lex huffed out a laugh despite himself. "I haven't had eggs in a while. The riots in the Midwest have been disrupting the shipping lanes."

"So enjoy them." Superman was tempted to add something cutting about how, with him in command of America, there _were_ no more riots. But he found this strange place that he and Lex were at, hovering between peace and hostility, to be very interesting. "There's more where that came from if you're still hungry afterwards."

Lex tilted his head, staring at Superman inscrutably. Then he smiled a little and began to eat. He didn't quite inhale the food, but Superman was still impressed by how quickly it disappeared. A few minutes passed in fairly peaceful silence, and Superman was just contemplating the best way to begin the conversation again when Brainiac entered the room.

"I said we'd discuss matters later, Brainiac."

"My apologies, Superman, but there has been an incident," Brainiac said, robotic hands folded behind its back. "It appears that the Hoover Dam has partially collapsed."

Superman was on his feet in an instant. He heard Lex murmur, "Oh, _fuck_," but he was too busy calculating the potential damage to pay it any mind. What cities were downstream from the dam, what cities were powered by it? They would need to start moving immediately-

"There is one more thing, Superman," Brainiac said, and Superman could detect a hint of satisfaction there. "The explosives which destroyed it appear to have been planted and detonated by Luthor."

Superman turned slowly to face Lex. Luthor was on his feet as well, backing away. He crossed the distance between them in a heartbeat, slamming Lex against the wall with his hand tight around his throat. Lex's feet kicked helplessly, dangling a foot off the ground.

"Pl…ease-" Lex gasped, hands clawing at Superman's wrist.

"And to think I was beginning to trust you," Superman mused, tone at odds with the rage that practically vibrated through him. It took all of his willpower not to just squeeze down, to rid himself of the danger Lex posed once and for all. "Apparently, you're a threat no matter what's done to you. We'll just have to work on that."

"L't…'e…'xplain!" Luthor's voice was too weak for a human to hear, but Superman squeezed down a little tighter anyway.

"Your ability to speak will have to go, obviously," Superman said, eyes locked with Lex's horrified ones. "It will keep you from communicating with whatever minions you've still got in America. You're smart, you'll pick up sign language quickly enough. Limiting your mobility will probably be next. It'll keep you from wandering were you aren't supposed to. Brain surgery is really a wonderful tool, Lex. There are so many things I can do to you without killing you."

Luthor went perfectly still, still enough that Superman thought he'd passed out. But then his eyes opened, bloodshot and panicked but still very aware. His lips (rapidly turning blue) started mouthing something: 'not me'. Superman narrowed his eyes.

"Brainiac, go. Start coordinating the relief efforts."

"But-"

"Go!" Superman was not in the mood to hear Brainiac, since he was fairly certain that the A.I.'s advice would be 'Kill Luthor.' Superman wasn't sure he would be able to resist doing just that if Brainiac didn't leave. He heard the quiet whirr of gears as Brainiac exited the room.

With a grunt of irritation, he let Luthor drop to the floor. Lex curled up at his feet, gasping for air. The human was shivering, though Superman wasn't sure if it was from fear or a simple physical reaction to nearly being strangled.

"Say what you have to say," he ordered. "And Lex? It had better be good."

"Security measure," Lex gasped. "The bomb in the…dam was…a security measure. It was sanctioned…by the government…eleven years ago." He paused, trying to catch his breath more fully.

"You expect me to believe-"

"Check the records at the White House! Everything will still be there!" Lex finally managed to get his hands underneath him and shoved himself into a sitting position, back against the wall for support. He tilted his head back to stare up at Superman. "Eleven years ago, give or take a few months, the government came to LexCorp and asked me to design and produce several bombs that would be planted in places of strategic importance. The idea behind them was that if the United States was taken by a foreign power, the bombs would keep their new reign from running smoothly. Basically, if we couldn't have it, no one could."

"And you call yourself the good guys," Superman sneered.

"All I did was develop them and hand them over to the government for an exorbitant fee," Lex continued as if Superman had never spoken. "I haven't even _thought_ about the project for about a decade, and I never had the keys to it. If the bomb in the dam was set off deliberately, you'll want to look at the Presidential Cabinet or the top brass of one of the military branches. Not me. But if the dam was only partially destroyed, then this could just be a misfire, a technical flaw. Believe me, those bombs were not made to do anything 'partially'."

Superman knelt so that he was looking Lex in the eye and grabbed his chin. "You're so good at lying, Luthor. It's amazing. I almost believed you."

"I can't lie!" Lex said, practically shouting. "You stuck that goddamn implant in my skull!"

"I never programmed you not to lie," Superman replied, "which in retrospect is a pretty obvious oversight. I'll be fixing that soon."

"Fine! Do it! But this wasn't me. I'll give you the locations of the other bombs, I'll give you any more information about the government's plans that I have, but I had nothing to do with the dam collapsing." Lex closed his eyes and swallowed before looking up at Superman again. "Please. You have to believe me."

Superman narrowed his eyes, considering. He had programmed Luthor specifically to be loyal and obedient. While those didn't necessarily preclude lying, the human would have had to do some impressive mental gymnastics to get around the implants commands so thoroughly. But he also had to consider that the implant might not be working at all, that something about Lex's brain was keeping it from functioning the way it did in everyone else. Either way, they would need to run more tests on it, and those would have to wait until Superman got back from dealing with the disaster that the dam collapse would leave its wake. He was about to stand up when another thought occurred to him.

"You say the government had plans in case of an invasion by foreign powers, otherwise known as 'me'," Superman said, letting go of Lex's chin to run his fingers along the edges of the implant. "What exactly did _you_ have planned in case that happened?"

Lex sighed and looked down. _Gotcha_, Superman thought.

"I had a project in place to study people who had abilities, powers, whatever you want to call them. The hope was that we could find a person who could go head to head with you, since none of my experiments to create someone like that had worked out."

"Failed miserably and killed hundreds, you mean."

"Yes, that's clearly what I meant." Lex scowled. "Anyway, the project, called Level 33.1, was eventually geared towards trying to create an army, something with a hope of repelling you if you decided to take America by force. It obviously didn't work."

"And if I went looking for this Level 33.1, where would I find it?"

"The actual lab and the people in it were in the main LexCorp building in Metropolis, which-"

"Which you blew up."

"Which was evacuated several hours before you arrived, when it was clear that you were gathering your forces for an attack." Lex looked up at him. "The second-tier lab is in LexCorp Facility Number Eighteen, in Gotham. The passcode for the lab is 'Julian', if you'd like to go in through the door instead of just punching a hole in the wall."

Superman ran his fingers along the line of Lex's jaw before grabbing his chin again. He had the stray thought, _You're going to break something if you keep doing that,_ but ignored it.

"If you are lying to me about any of this, Lex, I'm going to make you regret it in ways you can't even imagine." He let Lex go and stood up, stalking out of the room. This was going to be a long day, and it would lead into a long night. He probably wouldn't be back to the Fortress until tomorrow evening, at the very earliest.

"Brainiac, don't let Luthor out of my room," he ordered as he passed through the central chamber of the Palace. Brainiac was already plugged into one of the terminals, no doubt issuing orders.

"Do you have further instructions regarding him, Superman?"

Superman paused. Brainiac didn't like Lex, to say the least, and the A.I. had something of a sadistic streak in him that Superman hadn't been able to deprogram entirely.

"Bring him food and water at mealtimes, and leave him alone beyond that."

"Superman-"

"Leave him alone, Brainiac. His future is my decision."

"As you wish."

Superman blurred away, already putting Lex out of his mind for the moment. He had work to do.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** If you're weirded out by this chapter's surprise Celebrity Guest Star, believe me, you can't be more weirded out than I am. But _Red Son_ had a lot of cameos from real historical figures, so in the spirit of the story, I included one.

The areas downriver from the dam were in ruins, the rush of water having inundated them completely. Bodies floated in the deep water, already beginning to bloat and rot. People were stranded on their roofs, on makeshift rafts, crying out for help. They cheered when Superman swooped down. They clung to him and thanked him. Suddenly, beautifully, everyone saw him as a savior. Everyone saw that all he ever wanted was to help.

He stayed even when the relief forces moved in. Something in him didn't want to leave.

xxxxx

After days of directing the relief efforts and getting electricity back to the cities that had been powered by the dam, Superman knew he had to return to the Palace, and to business as usual. It was harder than he anticipated. He'd forgotten how much he missed patrolling at random, helping anyone who needed it. It was such a relief to just offer assistance without having to fix everything in the process.

But fixing the world had become his job, and Superman knew there was no turning away from it. With that in mind, he flew to the White House to see if Lex had been telling the truth about the bombs. It was early morning on the East Coast, so early that it was still dark, and the only person Superman met as he entered the White House was a startled guard.

He was thankful for his superhuman speed as he started reading, because the paper trail regarding the bombs was appallingly long. It would have taken a human hours to sort through it all, which was perhaps intentional. Superman had a feeling the Americans would have felt a little less friendly towards their own government had they known about the plans in place to bomb half the country out of existence. It didn't surprise him that humans would think something so ridiculous was a good idea.

It did surprise him that Lex had been telling the truth. Besides developing the bombs, LexCorp had no further involvement. Superman leaned back in his chair, the leather creaking under him, and felt a moment of intense guilt. Lex hadn't lied to him, and he'd nearly killed him anyway. Superman rubbed his forehead, feeling very tired. Lex was a still a threat, still a danger, but Superman couldn't kill him. Maybe the best thing to do would be to alter Lex's implant further, just to be safe?

He'd make a decision later. At the moment, he needed to concentrate on who had set off the bomb in the first place. His first stop would probably be the President, and he'd work his way through the ranks from there. He'd find the person who'd caused the explosion, and they'd be under Brainiac's knife before the end of the night.

xxxxx

The sun was just rising over the president's estate in Massachusetts when Superman arrived. He hovered above the house, waiting. One good things about dealing with heads of state was that there was no need to knock on the door. They always had security watching, and security was more than willing to alert everyone to his presence.

Sure enough, after only five minutes of hovering, the former president stepped out onto the lawn, hands in his pockets, expression neutral. Superman could spot at least five bodyguards watching them, and that was just using his regular vision.

"Morning, Superman."

"Good morning, Mr. Kennedy."

"You know, I'm fairly certain I'm actually still president. It's not like you ever officially impeached me."

"President Kennedy, then," Superman said, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. Humans were so strange about titles.

"What brings you to Massachusetts?" Kennedy asked, polite as ever.

"The Hoover Dam."

"Well, you disbanded the National Guard and aren't letting any private organizations in, so I'm not sure what you expect me to do abou-"

"I know about the bomb. Luthor was kind enough to mention it."

"How's Lex doing, by the way?" Kennedy asked, eyes sharpening. "Everyone's a little curious."

"He's not your concern anymore," Superman said, crossing his arms. It was windy, and the breeze ruffled the trees around them gently. "The bomb, Mr. President. I want to know who set it off."

"You aren't alone there," Kennedy said, eyes never wavering. "We actually figured you might have heard of Project Ragnarok-"

"Project_ Ragnarok_?"

"I'd like to point out that I didn't come up with the name," Kennedy said with a shrug. "Anyway, I've been working my way through the people who'd have the means to set it off, and they're all reporting the same thing: it wasn't them."

"And you believe them?"

"Look, none of these people are General Ripper. None of us are happy about the current situation, but we aren't terrorists." Kennedy sighed, poker face disappearing for a moment. "None of us would do something like that."

Superman raised an eyebrow. "And is there a particular reason I should believe any of you?"

"Excuse me?" Kennedy snapped, accent thickening. He stepped towards Superman, which made all of his bodyguards shift nervously. "It's clear you don't have a high opinion of Americans, but don't you dare accuse me, or any of the people I vouch for, of deliberately hurting our own people. You may have taken my job away, but I'm still the President of the United States, and I made a promise to protect this country. Even if that means working with our enemies from time to time."

"How noble of you," Superman said, not missing the dig at him. But despite Kennedy's defiance, he believed him. The man had never struck him as the type to resort to acts of desperation. "So you can't think of anyone who may have been responsible?"

"No, no one," Kennedy said, regaining his composure. "It's always possible that some kind of rogue agent got a hold of the codes, but no one in the Cabinet or the military are reporting any break-ins. The…"

"Yes?"

"The only one we haven't heard back from is General Mayweather, from the Navy. But it's not because he's responsible," Kennedy said. He looked away, in the direction of the rising sun.

"What makes you so sure?"

"His mother lived in Lake Havasu City, which is now under eight feet of water. He'll be there, trying to find her."

"In that case, I'll track him down myself."

"Fine." Kennedy said. There was a moment of silence, and then he looked up at Superman appraisingly. "You can't oversee every detail of the U.S. yourself, you know. Eventually, you're going to have put someone in charge."

"When I do, it won't be you."

"Because a representative elected by the people is too dangerous?" Kennedy's smile was sharp-edged and not particularly nice.

"Elected by _your_ people? Maybe. How many states had seceded from your country before I finally took it over? What was your rate of homelessness, joblessness, violence? Because I know, and I was never very impressed by it, Kennedy."

"You're one to talk about violence. How many of his own people did your mentor Stalin kill before somebody finally had the good sense to kill him?"

Superman clenched his jaw. "Stalin and I are very different people, Mr. President. And considering what came to light about _your_ predecessor-"

"Nixon and I never agreed on a damn thing, and that's well known. The best thing he ever did was catch that bullet at Dallas."

"-I wouldn't throw stones." He didn't have time for this. He had to hunt down General Mayweather, to reassure himself if for no other reason. If that turned up no new leads, he was back to square one. "Don't pretend like I didn't save your country from tearing itself apart, Mr. President. I'll be in touch."

Not giving the human a chance to respond, he soared upwards until he was at least a mile above the ground. This high up, he could almost tune out the ever-present cacophony of Earth if he just focused on the sound of the wind whistling past him. It was something he did when he was particularly frustrated, and it had always served him well. The waves crashed against the shore below him, as steady as a metronome. When he felt calmer, he headed back towards what was left of the Hoover Dam.

xxxxx

The Palace had never been a more welcome sight. Superman felt _tired_, which was rare and bizarre in its own right. He'd gone to all of the locations Lex had listed, disarming and mkodisabling the bombs. Most of the people working in and around the areas where the explosives were hadn't known of their existence at all, which infuriated Superman all over again. Once he was done with the bombs, he'd set about tracking down Mayweather.

The refugee camps set up for the displaced victims had been a blur, with Superman desperately wanting to block out the sounds of wailing and despair. He'd scanned three of them before eventually finding General Mayweather, sitting hollow-eyed next to his mother's body.

Superman didn't interrogate him. There wouldn't have been a point.

Instead, Superman had flown back to the palace, slowing down over the Ukraine to gaze at the farm where he'd grown up. He hadn't been back there in years. He still saw his parents occasionally, but oftentimes it was under the guise of official business. His civilian identity had been a state secret for decades now, and he didn't see much of a point in putting them in danger just to make himself feel better.

But even knowing he couldn't see them, Superman still hovered in midair above his former home for a long, long time. If he closed his eyes, he could see the interior of it perfectly, every corner of every room. The hollow space in the roof where he'd loved to hide when he and Lana were playing, the pattern of the wood grain on the ceiling of his room. All of it. Every detail. And his mother and father would still be there, would still welcome him with open arms and never look at him with fear in their eyes. He'd be home.

Superman shook his head sharply and rubbed his eyes. There was no point in maudlin speculation, especially when he still had so much work to do. He flew the rest of the way to the Palace without slowing down.

Brainiac was in the central chamber when Superman arrived, the wires from several different consoles plugged into it. It looked up as Superman entered, straightening and unplugging the wires carefully.

"Superman," it said. "I have been monitoring your efforts. You have handled the situation admirably. I calculate that the worst is likely over."

"Admirably?" Superman muttered. "That's a word for it, I suppose. Any news?"

"None. Have you decided how to resolve the problem of Luthor?"

"It wasn't him, Brainiac," Superman said, sighing and rubbing the bridge of his nose. He wanted sleep, desperately. It was purely mental, but the need to just turn off his mind was crushing. "He was telling the truth the entire time."

"But one day that will not be the case," Brainiac insisted, stepping closer to Superman. Its movements were oddly graceful for something made entirely of metal and gears. It reminded Superman a bit of a spider. "Are you prepared to spend the rest of your life waiting for the day that he betrays you? Because he will, Superman. It is in his nature."

"And so what do you suggest?" Superman snapped. "Lobotomizing him? He hasn't done anything."

"But he _will_," Brainiac insisted, frustration clear. "He is the only real threat left to your establishment of a safe and peaceful world, and you are refusing to acknowledge this out of a sense of nostalgia. It is illogical and foolish."

"Excuse me?" Superman said, tensing up. Brainiac had never been this outspoken in the entire time it had been working for Superman.

"I have been programmed to assist you, and unlike Luthor, I obey my programming," Brainiac said, tone mechanically calm once again. "If an obvious threat presents itself, I am to inform you of it, and that is exactly what I am doing. Luthor cannot be trusted in his current state, Superman."

Superman closed his eyes, shoulders sagging as he leaned against one of the consoles. Brainiac was right. Lex was as dangerous now as he ever had been, and Superman knew that unless the human was made more…tractable, then Lex would eventually turn on him. And there would be no doing things halfway, either. When the surgery was done, Lex would be a shadow of his former self. They'd have to destroy his intelligence, his curiosity, his determination. An actual lobotomy might have been less cruel.

"You're right," Superman finally said out loud. He straightened his shoulders, resisting the urge to tell Brainiac they'd do it tomorrow. If he didn't do it now, he'd talk himself out of it. "Start preparing the operating room. I'll go tell him."

"Do not let his protests sway you, Superman," Brainiac said. "You are doing the right thing."

Superman wasn't listening, already heading to his room. He owed it to Lex to tell him personally, at least. He made his way to the room slowly, trying to believe he wasn't stalling. When he arrived, he X-rayed the area as a precaution, and blinked in surprise. Lex was sitting at the table, scribbling something down rapidly. All around him were pieces of paper, covering everything like some impromptu snowstorm had hit the room.

There must have been a notebook stashed somewhere in the room that Superman had forgotten about, since Brainiac certainly wouldn't have given it to Lex. Although the Palace had advanced technology, Superman often found it comforting to write things down with pencil and paper. Hopefully, it had brought some comfort to Lex as well. _Stop hesitating_, he told himself, and opened the door.

Lex looked up the second he entered, expression closed off as he stood up from the table. He seemed to be looking Superman up and down, like he was trying to find something.

"You've been gone for five days."

"It feels like it's been longer," Superman said, approaching Lex carefully, try not to step on the sheets of paper scattered across the floor. They were all covered with Lex's precise handwriting. "It's been hard getting the affected area back on its feet. But I found time to speak to Kennedy."

"So you know I've been telling the truth." Lex didn't look relieved. Instead, he just stared at Superman's face, and Superman could see the muscles in his shoulders tensing.

"He confirmed your story, yes." This shouldn't have been so hard.

"But?"

"Lex…" he trailed off. He didn't want to do this, and that alone was surprising. But it was true. There wouldn't be much of Lex left after surgery, and the thought made something in Superman cry out in alarm. But he had a duty to protect Earth, and Lex was apparently not going to be a part of the solution. "Lex, I-"

"I want to make a deal with you," Lex said suddenly, shoulders straightening.

"What?"

"I want to make a deal," Lex repeated. The papers made gentle scraping sounds as he absently shifted them around. He was still wearing the too-large sweater, Superman realized distantly.

"Lex," he said, not unkindly. He didn't have it in him to provoke Lex right now, "you've got nothing to bargain with."

"Actually," Lex's smile was spontaneous, confident, and a little terrified, "I do. The Hoover Dam, or what's left of it, and the towns beneath it. Oh, and all the states that are powered by it."

Superman's hackles went up. He took a step forward, crumpling papers beneath his boot. "I thought you said you had nothing to do with the dam collapse."

"I didn't." Lex's smile only grew wider. "What I'm offering is to fix it. Fix it with improvements, actually. Follow my instructions and you'll be able to power the entire western seaboard with it, along with Nevada and Arizona and all the other square little desert states."

"Lex-"

"And that's not all." His smile was downright manic by that point, and Superman could tell that beneath the swagger and salesmanship, there was real fear. "I'll fix the towns that were flooded, repair them better than ever, make them models efficiency. I'll fix the environmental damage the dam caused. By the time I'm done, the Hoover Dam collapsing will be the best thing that ever happened to the region."

"Lex!" Superman interrupted. He breathed out harshly in frustration. "Lex, stop. What you're proposing is impos-"

"I once balanced America's national budget just for fun," Lex said, bending down to scoop up several sheets of paper. "It's not impossible. I'm not even bargaining for the dam, either. I'm giving it all to you for free." He held the sheets out to Superman, hands steady.

"What?"

"I realize capitalism is a sinister and foreign thing to you, but one of the first things they teach in business is the concept of a free sample." Lex handed the bundle of papers to Superman. "Show them what you've got to offer, but always leave them wanting more. Look at it. It will work."

Superman looked through the papers, skimming them at superspeed. Then he read through them again, more slowly. The schematics that Lex had drawn out, the proposals, the suggests, the designs…they could work. They _would_ work.

"This is all-" Superman shook his head, amazed and stared at Lex. "And you're just giving this to me?"

"It's yours." Lex crossed his arms. "If something turns out to be wrong or flawed, which I highly doubt, I'll modify it. But there you go. I've fixed your Hoover Dam problem."

Superman put the papers down on the table carefully. He'd go over them later, and have Brainiac do the same, but he knew instinctively that the plans would be flawless. This was Lex, after all.

"And if you're just giving me the Hoover Dam, what is it you plan to bargain with, exactly?" It was eerily familiar, negotiating with Lex. It was a complicated, knife's edge dance that they've been doing for years. Except there was nothing familiar about this at all. Lex had never been powerless, never been without his company, country, and creations to back him up. His heart had never been pounding out a staccato rhythm that almost certainly meant he was badly frightened. But his grin was the same as ever, sharp-edged and fearless.

"It's fairly simple, Superman," Lex said. "I'm offering you the world."

"I already have the world."

"But it's not perfect," Lex said. "For all your talk about making things a utopia, your command economy is failing in some places. You're trying to control natural disasters and the weather with Brainiac's technology, but it's not working the way it should and your citizens are terrified of it. Humanity is burning up natural resources, and you're not sure how to stop it. You have enough food for everyone, but no comfortable surpluses. You don't know what to about the pollution we're producing. You don't know why small rebellions keep breaking out in territories that have been peaceful for years. Stalingrad is still in a bottle." Lex, in defiance of all common sense, took a step towards him. "I'll fix that. I'll fix all of it."

"That's impossible," and even as Superman said it, he thought, _But this _is_ Lex_. _Maybe…_ "If you could do any of that, you'd have done it years ago, to spite me."

"It won't be easy, and it won't be cheap," Lex said, not backing down. "America's been in no position to give me the resources, and I wouldn't do it pro bono. Nothing would have made me help you out, not even the prospect of world peace. But things are different. The entire world is yours, I don't have a company to bankrupt anymore, and I'm bargaining for my life. I have no reason not to save the world."

"You aren't bargaining for your life, I'd never-"

"I'd rather die than have you lobotomize me," Lex spat. His heart was pounding like a hummingbird's, and Superman knew he meant every word of it. "You take me in there, you operate on me like Brainiac so clearly wants you to, and what comes out won't be me. It might look like me, it might have my voice, but everything that makes me who I am will die on that table." He took a deep breath out and closed his eyes for the briefest of moments, eyelashes dark against the pale skin of his cheek. "I can help you save the world, Superman. I _will_ help you. But I have to be me to do it."

"So that's your bargain. You'll save the world in exchange for remaining the way you are." Superman stepped closer to Lex, so that the human had to look up to meet his eyes. "I'm surprised you aren't negotiating to have the implant removed entirely."

"I know you," Lex said, raising his chin and sneering. "You wouldn't take this thing out voluntarily if I offered you the world on a string ten times over."

"And I know you. You'll twist everything to your advantage somehow."

"I'm already twisting it to my advantage," he said, and his smile was purely Luthor in that moment.

"And you really think you can do this?" Superman asked, eyebrow raised, trying not to give away how appealing the idea was. He'd always thought that if only things had been different, if only he and Lex had been on the same side… "You think that you can solve all the problems that no one else has been able to? You think you can come up with solutions Brainiac and I never thought of?"

"Let me make one thing very clear," Lex said, and Superman had the stray thought that Lex had never looked more serious than he did in that moment. "I am Lex Luthor, the greatest scientist on this planet or any other. There is _nothing_ I can't do. And if I say I can save Earth, I can save it. Now, do we have a deal?"

There were reasons he shouldn't, Superman was sure. Brainiac would likely elaborate on them in great detail until he ordered it to go away. But Lex was here in front of him, offering him everything he'd ever hoped for, and Superman found that couldn't turn away.

"Deal."


	5. Chapter 5

The noise Lex made upon seeing the lab was essentially a squeal of glee, though Superman had enough sense not to point it out. Instead, he watched Lex explore, smiling every time the human came across something new. Lex's happiness was infectious in a way, and Superman liked being able to give him something. It assuaged his guilt over nearly killing him for something that wasn't his fault. Happiness aside, though, he was slightly concerned about the manic look in Lex's eye when he came across the nitroglycerin vials. He reassured himself that it would take a lot more than nitroglycerin to punch through any of the walls in the Palace.

"Well?" Superman asked, floating down from where he'd been perched on one of the light fixtures. "Will this work?"

"It's satisfactory," Lex said, like he hadn't just spent the last hour and a half in a state of scientific euphoria. "But I want all of Brainiac's technology out of the lab before I start."

Superman rubbed the bridge of his nose. "You're deliberately making my life harder."

Lex's smile was not very friendly.

"Absolutely not," Brainiac hissed, when Superman told him about Lex's demand. "It is bad enough that he is being allowed access to the lab at all. It is insanity to even contemplate letting him work unmonitored."

"As if I'd give you the chance to sabotage my work," Lex snapped.

Lex and Brainiac went back and forth like that for a while, tossing insults in the form of arguments. Superman felt more and more like a harangued parent the longer they fought. Finally, after fifteen minutes of listening to 'robotic alien despot' and 'primitive, pathetic ape with delusions of grandeur', Superman reached his breaking point.

"Enough!" he said, physically stepping between them. "Brainiac, get your technology out of Lex's lab. Lex, Brainiac is allowed to scan everything you take in and out of the lab, and remove anything that might be a weapon."

"But-"

"That's final. Brainiac, go monitor the Nazca plate, it's been producing a lot of seismic activity. Lex, go to your lab and start doing something."

"But-"

"Now!"

Both of them stalked to their respective corners of the Palace. For his part, Superman flew laps around the Earth until he felt less like smacking them both. When he was calmer, he patrolled, but aside from a few minor car crashes and a small housefire in Rio de Janeiro, there was very little going on. When he confirmed that there were no situations that needed his direct intervention, Superman flew into space. He stood atop one of Brainiac's geosynchronous satellites and stared down at the planet, feeling a sudden, intense happiness. It was peaceful at last. No wars, no chaos, no cries for help. He'd done it. He'd saved the world.

Superman closed his eyes and tipped off the satellite, letting himself float back towards Earth as gravity pulled him in. He smiled as he hit the atmosphere, the heat of re-entry sizzling across his skin and his uniform harmlessly. The wind roared past his ears, temporarily blotting out all sounds. He stopped his freefall gradually, coming to a halt somewhere over the Pacific Ocean, near Fiji. The sun was blazing, and Superman laughed and tilted his head back.

When he returned to the Palace, Lex had a holographic map of Africa projected in the center of the room. He was circling it, occasionally pausing to write something down on one of the clipboards he'd scattered throughout the place.

"What's this?" Superman asked, hovering to look at the Sahara, where Lex had been marking down locations, leaving red dots all over the top half of the continent.

"I'm going to create plants that can grow in the desert and turn the Sahara into farmland," Lex said. "And then maybe terraform the moon, too, for good measure. It's just hanging up there in the sky, not doing anything."

"Why exactly would we need a forest on the moon?" Superman asked, running his hand through the holographic Equator.

Lex rolled his eyes and didn't respond.

xxxxx

The first time he and Lex kissed, they were in Sudan, standing at the edge of the Sahel and arguing about crops of all things. Lex's plans had eventually merited a trip out the Sahara, and he'd thrown a mild tantrum until Superman agreed to let him come.

They were right on the edge of the Sahel, were only the toughest weeds and grasses survived. A few meters ahead of them, the plants faded into sands of the desert, and behind them, a veritable sea of grass stretched out as far as the eye could see. It was blisteringly hot, the heat beating down like a hammer and making the air shimmer. Superman was enjoying himself. Lex was grumbling nonstop; he was dressed in one of LexCorp's all-environment suits, which Superman had agreed to let him have after scanning it for weapons, traps, and other dangers. The suit regulated the temperature of the wearer very efficiently, and looked like a bulky wetsuit. It left Lex's head unprotected, and apparently he had a sort of intense phobia regarding sunburns, so he was also wearing a turban. The suit and the turban clashed hilariously, but Superman had wisely not told Lex that. If he felt the urge to giggle when looking at Lex, he instead stared at a herd of camels resting a few miles away until the impulse passed. It also helped that Lex was being obnoxious.

"Lex, you cannot just start growing random plants here." The farmer in Superman was deeply offended.

"Did I say that was what I was planning?" Lex leaned down to take a soil sample.

"No, but it _is_ what you're planning. You need to consider which crops can actually survive here, regardless of-"

"Don't patronize me like I'm in some Intro to Bio class," Lex snapped. "I'll pick plants that can survive the environment."

"The crops surviving isn't my biggest concern," Superman said, scowling. "I don't want the new farmlands to upset the ecosystem any more than necessary. We need to try and get plants that are native to this region, or at least have already been introduced."

Lex put the vial of soil in the small bag he was carrying with him and turned to face Superman, arms crossed. "Your first concern _would_ be the damn environment."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Superman said, stepping closer to loom over Lex.

"I mean that it makes sense you'd be some nature-loving hippie." Lex suddenly grinned up at him. "You are a filthy commie, after all."

To his surprise Superman found himself grinning back. "Of course you'd say that, capitalist swine."

It was very strange, the moment that should have been the start of an argument, but…wasn't.

They both started laughing then, and it was possibly the most tension free instant they'd ever had. So of course it was then that Superman noticed how close they were standing and that Lex was just inches away from his lips. He froze, not sure where that realization had come from and equally unsure of what to do with it. Lex seemed to realize it too, and his expression faded from amusement to consideration.

He stepped closer.

Superman didn't step back.

Lex closed the distance between them and their lips met. His skin was as hot, sweat-slicked from the heat, and Superman instinctively wrapped his arm around Lex's waist, pulling him closer.

It had been roughly ten years since Superman had touched anybody for reasons other than shaking hands and rescuing. Lex's lips were like a spark on oil, like a flame on dry grass. Superman could feel his body lighting up instantaneously, heart pounding, nerves racing. He deepened the kiss, tongue tangling with Lex's, and his perception of the world was reduced down to one patch of land, to one human in his arms. But shock and more than a little bit of lust could only keep his mind blank for so long, and eventually one thought emerged loud and clear: _What in the hell am I doing_?

Stunned, Superman let go of Lex and took a step back. The human was panting, cheeks flushed and lips already looking a little bruised. Superman had a feeling he looked equally disheveled. He wasn't sure what the polite thing to do in this situation was, exactly, but he knew that he needed to get away and start figuring things out immediately.

"I have to go do something. Stay here, I'll be back," Superman said, so quickly that Lex might not have even caught it. He took off into the sky. In retrospect, it may well have been the most idiotic thing he'd ever said out loud.

The atmosphere, he decided, was not far enough away. With that in mind, he soared towards the moon. He could hold his breath for roughly three hours, so that gave him a decent time limit to figure out what in the world had just happened. His cape floated up around him as he touched down gently on the Sea of Tranquility. He always got a small rush of pure glee when he was on the moon, no matter how many times he came here. Superman had teared up the first time he set foot on the barren, rocky surface and down looked at Earth, stretched out before him like the most beautiful canvas ever painted. It was one of the very few things that made him feel small, and he adored it. He adored it all, his beautiful, beautiful adopted home, and the people on it that he'd protect with his life. He'd even given serious thought towards letting humans come up here, since he certainly had the technology to make it feasible. The idea had eventually been discarded, since Superman preferred to make sure everything on Earth was running smoothly before humanity moved on to space. But he still regretted that no one besides him had ever seen this view in person.

He laid back on the dusty surface of the moon, finally feeling calm enough to start analyzing what had happened. Unconsciously, he raised his hand to his lips. Lex had kissed him, that much was obvious. Equally obvious was that he'd been very enthusiastic about kissing Lex back.

Finding Lex physically attractive wasn't something new or startling. The first time he'd ever seen the man, Superman had noted that he was beautiful. But it had been irrelevant then, and had stayed irrelevant through the intervening years. He and Lex had been rivals at best, enemies at worse. He assumed Lex had felt the same way, though the thought that Lex might be attracted to him hadn't ever crossed his mind.

The fact that they weren't currently enemies, or at least weren't actively trying to throw each other out of power, didn't really make the situation much better. Superman let his head thunk back against the lunar surface, frustration building.

Lex could be playing him, that was something worth considering. If Lex had been half as diligent spying on him as he had been spying on Lex, he'd know that Superman didn't have much in the way of a personal life. He could be trying to use Superman's lack of companionship to gain extra insurance for himself, to try and make sure Superman was bound to him emotionally. Superman wouldn't be surprised, considering how strangely the implant had been-

The implant.

Superman closed his eyes, heart sinking at realization. The reason he'd never suspected Lex was attracted to him was because the human _hadn't_ been. Not until the implant. He swore silently and banged his head back against the rock, feeling it crack and crater beneath him.

He was an idiot, clearly. If course Lex's actions were due to the implant. It had been stupid to think otherwise. Granted, none of the people implanted with Brainiac's technology had ever developed a sudden attraction to Superman, but Lex wasn't reacting normally to begin with. Superman rubbed his temples, feeling a headache forming. His hair was floating around him like a halo, the moon's gravity too weak to hold it down, and he ran a hand through it angrily. He got to his feet.

Nothing could happen with Lex, that much was obvious. He wasn't…wasn't willing, not really. It would be incredibly wrong, and Lex would doubtlessly agree when Superman explained it. Resisting the urge to sigh, he kicked upwards, allowing himself to cruise slowly back to Earth.

Lex wasn't where Superman had left him. Instead, he was several meters southwest, lying in the long, yellow savanna grass with his hands tucked behind his head. He was staring up at the sky, his expression contemplative. He raised an eyebrow when Superman flew into view and was enough to hover over him, casting a long shadow over him.

"You're lucky I wasn't eaten by lions," Lex drawled, voice calm.

"There are no lions anywhere near here," Superman said automatically. He floated there awkwardly, having no idea how to start the conversation.

"Just take us back to the Palace," Lex said, climbing to his feet and picking up the bag of soil samples. "I have what I came for."

The flight back was a unique kind of torture, with Superman painfully aware of every place he and Lex were touching. For his part, Lex lounged in his arms like a cat, eyes tightly closed the entire time but otherwise completely relaxed. Superman envied him, since he still felt panicky and unsure.

When they arrived at the Palace, Superman followed Lex to his lab, still trying to decide what he was going to say. Several times he started to speak, only to think better of it and fall silent. Instead, he watched Lex work. It was oddly peaceful, with only the scratching of Lex's pencil and the gentle humming of the machines to disturb the silence. He'd been perched on one of the lab tables, watching Lex scribble notes, when the human finally spoke.

"Are you trying to kill me?"

"What?!" Superman asked, startled.

"Well, you've been staring at me for approximately fifteen minutes without looking away," Lex said, putting his clipboard down. "It occurred to me that you might be trying to slow cook me with your heat vision."

"No," Superman said, sighing. "I'm just thinking."

"You know, my main concern when I kissed you was that you'd be disgusted and take my head off with one punch," Lex said. He stepped around the lab table he was working at to stand directly in front of Superman. "I wasn't expecting you to panic and run away to space."

"It was just to the moon," Superman said, feeling slightly offended.

"I'm sorry, panic and run away to the moon," Lex said, rolling his eyes. "If I'd known making a pass at would cause you to flee the planet, I'd have tried it years ago."

He supposed he wasn't going to get any better opening than that.

"Lex, ah, about you…" Superman looked away, licking his lips nervously. He uncrossed his legs and stood up, so that he and Lex were more or less eye to eye. Lex's implant glinted softly under the fluorescent lights of the lab. "About any…feelings you have towards me, I don't think they're you. Yours. I don't think they're yours. It's because of the implant."

Whatever reaction Superman was expecting out of Lex, laughter wasn't it at all.

"Is that what has you so flustered?" Lex asked between laughs, grinning. "It figures. You're so strange."

"Lex-"

"It's not the implant," Lex said, still chuckling. "It was never the implant."

"Yes, it is," Superman said, frustrated. "Lex, think. You never wanted anything like this before."

"Superman," Lex said, putting his hands on Superman's shoulders. Superman started, not expecting it. "I've wanted to kiss you since the first time I saw you."

That rendered Superman silent, dumbstruck.

"Well, all right," Lex said, mouth twisting a little, "the first time I saw you, I wanted to run tests on you. But when we got the first close-up pictures of you, then I wanted to kiss you. Possibly while running tests on you. And now there's no reason why I shouldn't."

"Lex, that doesn't-" Superman narrowed his eyes. As per his deal with Lex, he'd never programmed the implant to keep Lex from being dishonest. He could very easily see Lex lying to get what he wanted, which in this case, oddly enough, was Superman. "You're lying."

"I am not," Lex said irritably, his hands still on Superman's shoulders. "Christ, and I thought I was paranoid. I'm not lying."

"And even if you aren't," Superman said, stepping back out of Lex's reach, "you still wouldn't be doing this if it weren't for the implant. I'm sorry, Lex. This is wrong. You'd never want this normally."

"There you go again, making decisions for people without listening to a word they're saying," Lex said, glaring. He stepped back as well. "I should have expected it."

"Don't turn this into some fight about ideology," Superman snapped. "This is about doing the right thing, and I'm not going to take advantage of you."

"So you'd much rather-" Lex paused mid-sentence, blinking in confusion. "Huh. That's strange. Must be the implant."

"I don't think the damn implant is working at all!" Superman snapped.

"Oh, it's working," Lex said with a laugh. Unlike before, there was very little humor in it. "Believe me, it's working. But it's not what made me kiss you."

"Drop it, Lex," Superman ordered. "Whether it's the implant or not, I don't care. Nothing else is going to happen between us."

"As you wish," Lex said, giving a sarcastic little bow. He was smiling in a way that Superman didn't like at all.

xxxxx

What Superman did not expect out of Lex was obedience. And yet, a month passed, and Lex never brought up the kiss once. He spent long hours in the lab, he snarled at Brainiac, he was pleasant with Superman. By all appearances, he'd listened to what Superman said and had taken it to heart.

Superman should have known Luthor was just lulling him into a false sense of security.

He'd stopped by the lab, only to have Lex greet him with the good news that the test batch of seeds had taken root and were growing perfectly. They had been discussing when the best time to plant a trial group in the Sahara itself would be, when Lex had casually mentioned that he missed playing chess. Superman had stepped right into his trap and offered to play.

"I think we should make this game more interesting," Lex said, holding up a pawn and examining it. He and Superman were in Superman's room, seated at the small crystal table. The chess set was similarly crystalline; Superman had created it one day when he was bored.

"Interesting?" Superman asked, immediately suspicious.

"You mentioned earlier that you thought we should bring in farmers to plant and maintain the crops, instead of calling on the local population," Lex said, rolling the pawn between his fingers. "I disagree. The locals are mostly subsistence farmers to begin with. We should use them."

"We're using genetically modified crops that are completely experimental," Superman said, not sure where Lex was going with this. "I'd prefer we use farmers with more experience dealing with plants that are so far from organic. I know several, including some who have the implants so Brainiac can monitor things more closely. It'll insure a better crop yield."

"It might," Lex agreed. "But the crops aren't the point of my argument. You've brought peace to the world, sure. You can put down any uprising, break apart any militias, stop any wars before they happen, and you can do it all without spilling a drop of blood. But that doesn't mean peace is guaranteed. Let the locals handle the crops, and our plan will have a familiar face to everyone in the region. It'll put people at ease."

Superman raised an eyebrow.

"No one likes feeling like they're your pets, Superman," Lex said. "You tell them that they're going to eat this strange food that looks normal but grows in the desert and that they've got no choice in that matter, and it will chafe. They'll resent it, and they'll resent you. But let them grow and care for the food themselves and it'll seem like a gift you're giving them. You'll come off less like a dictator and more like a benefactor."

"You're giving me advice on how to better rule the world now?" Superman said, tilting his head. _This_ was certainly new.

"Well, I'm going to save the world, so that means working with the people in charge." Lex smiled amicably. "You've narrowed that down to you and only you."

"It's an interesting idea, and I can see your point," Superman said, "but why are we having this conversation now?"

"Because I'd like to take the choice out of your hands," Lex said, still smiling. "You need to stop micro-managing every aspect of humanity. It's bad for you and bad for us. And stressful. I think I see a grey hair right at your temple."

Before he could stop himself, Superman brought a hand up to his hair, as if he'd be able to feel any greys. He glared at Lex.

"Don't get your cape ruffled, I'm teasing."

"You're rude, that's what you are." But Superman wasn't actually that bothered. There was something nice about seeing Lex making jokes. Actually, that was one of the most noticeable things about Lex, post-implant. When he teased, it lacked the malicious edge that Superman was so familiar with. When Lex laughed, it no longer seemed like it was at everyone else's expense.

"Anyway, I think we should play for it," Lex said, putting the pawn down and leaning in towards the chess set. "If you win, we handle things your way. If I win, we handle things my way."

Superman was torn. On one hand, it was grossly irresponsible to let important decisions be made based on a game, even if that game was chess. On the other, Lex's idea was a good one, and Superman might have ended up choosing it regardless. Smiling a little, Superman settled his hands near the edges of the board.

"All right, Lex. Deal."

An hour later, Superman watched in bemusement as Lex captured his queen.

"That'll be checkmate," Lex said cheerfully, picking up the queen with relish. "You were off your game."

"Maybe I let you win," Superman suggested, crossing his arms and sitting back. Normally, he was excellent at chess, but he _had_ been off his game, badly so. He'd made foolish mistakes left and right. It was almost embarrassing.

"I doubt it," Lex said. His grin changed, became something almost like a smirk. "I think I deserve a reward for beating you so completely."

"A reward?" Superman laughed. "Besides getting your way, you mean?"

"Yes, besides that." Lex stood up, leaning forward over the table. "I think I deserve a kiss."

"A kiss," Superman said flatly. Why on earth had he thought Lex would just accept something and move on? It had been wishful thinking on his part, obviously.

"It's traditional in chess," Lex said, smiling. "You just don't know about it since you're hiding up here in Siberia all the time."

"The fact that you can tell such ridiculous lies with a completely straight face is amazing."

"I am very amazing, yes." An edge of seriousness crept into Lex's expression. "Kiss me."

"Lex, no," Superman said, getting up from the table. "This isn't-"

"This isn't the implant talking," Lex said. "You really think anything of Brainiac's could produce affection? Attraction? Anything resembling something soft or human? No, Brainiac's very good at obedience and blind terror, but he's not causing this."

"But you still aren't-"

"What, in my right mind?" Lex laughed harshly. "If you have your way, I'm never going to get this implant out. I'll die with it welded to my skull. Am I supposed to spend the rest of my life here, watching you and never getting to have you? I won't accept it." He rounded the table, and Superman found himself stepping back without meaning to. "Kiss me."

"Lex, you're married!" It was the first thing that sprang to mind. Superman felt incredibly off-balance, not sure how to handle the idea that Lex might actually want him, and equally unsure about how badly he wanted to step forward and close the distance between them.

"Lois and I haven't had sex for twelve years," Lex said, not letting Superman put any distance between them. "I put our marriage on hold the first time you beat me, all those years ago. I don't know why she stayed with me, because the only thing I've given a damn about for decades now has been you."

"That doesn't make this right!" Superman felt his back hit the wall, and he wondered vaguely why he was letting Lex cage him in like this when he could leave anytime he wanted.

"You conquered my country." Lex placed his hands on either side of Superman's head carefully, deliberately. He leaned up, their faces inches apart. "You conquered my world. You kidnapped me, you tried to brainwash me, and you've been keeping me here against my will. You _owe me this_, you son of a bitch."

"I can't." Superman shook his head rapidly. "I—Lex, I can't."

"You're alone," Lex said, his tone gentler. He smoothed his fingers through Superman's hair, the movement soft and slow despite how animated Lex was. Superman shivered, feeling Lex's touch like it was across every inch of him. "You think it's not a problem, you think you don't care, but I can see it. You haven't been anything but a ruler for so long that you're starting to forget there's more to you. If you stay like this, anything good inside of you is going to atrophy and die. If you remove yourself from humanity, you're going to lose yours. We need this. We both need this." He stroked Superman's hair again. "Now kiss me, goddamn it."

_I can't_, Superman thought, even as he started to move forward. _I can't do this_.

Superman kissed Lex, and very quickly stopped thinking entirely.


End file.
